How injured braveheart foiled bank heist

How injured braveheart foiled bank heist

Sandhya.Nair@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  31.07.2021 

Sheer courage and presence of mind of ICICI Bank’s Virar (East) branch cashier Shraddha Devrukhkar helped nab the accused, Anil Dubey, who was fleeing with over Rs 3 crore worth cash and valuables from the bank on Thursday evening. Despite seeing her colleague lying in a pool of blood and being grievously injured herself, the 32-year-old pressed the security alarm that alerted locals on the busy road.

Devrukhkar and her colleague, deputy manager Yogita Vartak (34), were working till late when Dubey (35), a former manager in the same bank, barged in and threatened the two women. He forced them to open the lockers and emptied out lockers of gold and cash. When the women tried to raise an alarm, he slashed them with a razor. Hearing Devrukhkhar’s screams for help, two women and a man, who saw Dubey flee with two bags, immediately nabbed him. He was then handed over to the police.

While Dubey told the police his accomplice had escaped, Devrukhkar, who is recuperating at Sanjeevani hospital in Virar, told police he had come alone. His car was found at a distance from the bank.

During interrogation, Dubey confessed he had committed the crime as he had taken loans of over Rs 1 crore from three banks. He had to pay a monthly instalment of Rs 1.2 lakh. Dubey had worked at the ICICI Bank branch between January 2019 and August 2020. He joined as branch head of a private sector bank in Naigaon in August 2020, but was terminated from his job on Friday.

Dubey knew the two women and was aware they would be working till late due to monthend accounting work. He had planned to threaten the women and escape with the cash and valuables. But when Vartak resisted, he pulled out a razor and slashed her neck. She collapsed on the floor. Dubey then charged toward Devrukhkar and slashed her on the neck as well. While Vartak succumbed, Devrukhkar is recuperating in hospital. Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar Commissionerate commissioner Sadananad Date, who visited Devrukhkar, applauded her for her courage.

Vartak, a resident of Phoolpada in Virar (east), had been with the Virar branch for the past few years. Police said hours before the crime, Dubey had called her up to inquire about work. Vartak is survived by her husband and a seven-year-old son. Dubey has been booked for murder, attempt to murder and robbery. He has been remanded to police custody for a week.

Despite seeing her colleague lying in a pool of blood and being grievously injured herself, Shraddha pressed the alarm that alerted locals on the busy Mumbai road